This invention relates generally to a method for manufacturing seats, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing vehicle seats wherein seat constructions are required which can be manufactured in large quantities at low costs and with a broad range of styling possibilities.
One method for making seats with a foam pad is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,972 issued to Wintermute, et al. The method shown in Wintermute uses a vacuum to shape the seat cover and is thereby limited for use with seat covers which are imperforate. The seat produced by Wintermute also has a foam pad which is bonded on all sides to either the cover or base panel.
It is an object of this invention to provide a vehicle seat construction which utilizes a foam pad which is formed by a pour-in-place process in which the foam pad is molded onto and integrally bonded to the seat trim cover. An advantage of this invention is lower overall production costs as well as a faster production process. It is a further advantage of this invention to use seat cover materials which are perforate. It is yet another advantage of this invention that the foam pad is only bonded to the load engaging surface of the cover which reduces the wrinkling of the side panels when the seat is loaded.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a method for manufacturing seats which enables the construction of seat trim covers that have soft back panels thereby eliminating the need for hard plastic panels, zippers or other fastener/attachments that are cost-incurring items in a seat trim cover, such as a cover for a vehicle seat back.
Because the seat trim cover is an integral assembly with a foam pad of the desired configuration enclosed therein, the product lends itself to a broader range of styling possibilities which is an obvious advantage in the field of automobile seating.